10 Creative Ways to Earn Airline Miles (With Your Feet on the Ground)

When it comes to loyalty, we all know the typical ways to earn rewards – book a flight, open a rewards credit card, make a hotel reservation, enroll in a dining plan, rent a car. And chances are you’re earning points and miles this way already! While these methods tend to be top of mind, not many people know that there are actually a variety of ways to accrue valuable loyalty points.

Even many frequent flyers, effortlessly racking up miles on each flight, are unaware of the many loyalty and reward options that lie outside the sky’s domain.

Earning miles can be as easy as going through your daily routine, treating yourself, protecting your family or giving a gift. All it takes is a little initiative and research to get you started.

Since loyalty programs are not one-size-fits-all, find ways you can earn loyalty points in ways that are tailored to your lifestyle and preferences. Airlines, in particular, have taken this idea and run with it. Many have created opportunities to earn rewards in unique and creative ways. Here’s a look at ten of our favorite options:

Catch a Broadway show: Earn miles while being entertained. Audience Rewards has partnered with American, Delta, and United to allow members to win miles when booking tickets to hit Broadway productions like WICKED, The Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King.

Watch your favorite TV programs: MileagePlus and AAdvantage members receive 25,000 miles when signing up for DIRECTV. Kick back, and enjoy.

Give flowers: And get miles. Sending flowers remotely is probably the biggest bang for your loyalty buck. Airlines including Southwest, Alaska, United, and Frontier partner with flower shops nationwide like 1-800-Flowers, FTD and Teleflora, to name a few.

Pay your utility bills: Cutting the monthly utilities check can have its perks. Delta, United, and Southwest have partnered with regional and national utility providers so frequent flyers can earn miles for signing up and for dollars spent.

Think smarter about energy: You might have to leave the ground and climb atop your roof for this one. In addition to gas and electric benefits, Virgin American Elevate and AAdvantage customers can receive up to 15,000 points and 30,000 miles respectively for installing solar panels on their homes. Be sure to read the fine print, though. Some offers are valid only in certain states.

Be forgetful: JetBlue doesn’t want flyers to lose their belongings while traveling. They’ve teamed up with Tile – a mini Bluetooth tracking device and corresponding app that finds items in seconds – so TrueBlue members can gain reward points and hold on to their valuables.

Lend a hand. American Airlines awards miles to AAdvantage members who make donations to the USO in support of our men and women in uniform, and Susan G. Komen on a mission to find a cure for breast cancer.

These are just ten of the many unique ways you can incorporate earning points and miles into your everyday life. I encourage you to do some detective work and see what other options your favorite loyalty programs offer!